Many electronic systems include circuits that provide fixed functionality. For instance, a signal processing device can include fixed function circuits, such as signal filters and analog-to-digital converters, to perform signal processing operations. By arranging these fixed-function circuits in particular configurations, electronic systems can be built to perform specific tasks.
Programmable electronic systems include more generalized circuits or blocks, such as digital and analog programmable blocks, that can be configured to implement a large number of peripherals. The digital blocks can include programmable circuitry configured to provide various digital functions. The analog blocks can be used for development of analog elements, such as analog filters, comparators, inverting amplifiers, as well as analog-to-digital and digital-to-analog converters. The programmable electronic system can combine the analog and digital blocks to form a wide variety of functional modules, which implement mixed-signal applications.
The programmable electronic systems include a microcontroller and firmware to control applications performed by the programmable analog blocks and programmable digital blocks. For instance, when the programmable electronic system implements a mixed-signal application, such as an analog-to-digital converter, the microcontroller and firmware can configure or reconfigure the programmable analog blocks and programmable digital blocks into an analog-to-digital converter configuration, control the routing of analog data (to be converted) to the programmable analog blocks, control the output of digital (converted) data from the programmable digital blocks, and possibly receive status, state, and mode signaling from the programmable analog blocks and programmable digital blocks during performance of the analog-to-digital conversion.